ZEEBRUGGE BLOCKADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 4

ZEEBRUGGE BLOCKADE.

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.

A DARING EXPLOIT.

PERSONAL . RECOLLECTIONS.

BY FREDEIUCK BURKE.

St. George's Day will ever be remembered in the annals of naval history on account of the fearful but successful Blockade of Zeebrugge in 1918. The undertaking was of so important a character, in order to destroy the principal enemy submarine base, that the Admiralty fully expected 'to sacrifice the whole of the personnel engaged in order to achieve the desired objective. When volunteers were called for early in the year, the extreme danger was made known without any actual information being divulged as to tho action contemplated. Single men were desired, and as far as possible men without any domestic responsibility were selected. Although the strenuous training undergone by the officers and men did not actually betray the hazardous task ahead, the privileges extended, on the other hand, caused much comment.

The unexampled concession was received with amazement, i.e, notwithstanding the Admiralty's rigid censorship and prohibition against keeping diaries, every officer and man in the % adventure waJ> allowed to write any items concerning the war—including inside information where known— to seal' the packet of written material. These packets were not to be censored, and were posted to the persons to whom they ■ were addressed, immediately news of the action was received in London. In addition, we were all instructed to write our wills, and prepare for the worst. When all this became known, the officers and men concerned were immediately termed "The Suicide Club."

An Unknown Destination, i

The preparations and training were to ' tally new to us all, for they included bombing, bayoneting, and hand-to-hand fighting. After a few weeks of these instructions, coupled with enforced recreation such as football, hockey, etc., and what was better still, the choicest of foods lavishly meted out to the squadron, we steamed away from the naval dockyard at Chatham for an unknown destination. This proved to be a, secret deep water anchorage, not far from the Nore. The day following our arrival there every ship was visited by Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, who spoke at , length, and in detail, to the .assembled ship's company concerning the coming "stunt." The magnitude of the task was realised by all; the danger ahead, and the Very remote chance of living through to tell the tale, were fully pointed out. An instruction was also given that should any officer or man feel himself unequal to the task, he would be allowed to inform his commanding officer, who in turn would quietly have him removed before the squadron sailed. No communication with shore was allowed, and there the .ships lay, merely waiting for " Nature and the elements to prescribe the date for the blockage. Twice/ we sailed when everything seemed to be ready, but had to return on account of the wind shifting, a fact which was absolutely important, because it was planned that while the Vindictive drew all attention, the blockships were to enter the harbour under a smoke screen blowing in a certain direction. It is- of paramount interest to Lcow that the tide was also as important, in view of the explicit order, "That any survivors of ships are to pull to the northassisted by the tide and if not picked up, by British destroyers, are to make for Holland, B ana become interned in that country, sooner than fall prisoners." " , ; Fate seemed to, be playing 'us very close, for as a matter of fact the k-ening that we actually carried out the task; was the last one that-the' tide would be ccSirsing suitable for that object. If we did not! succeed that night, the moon would have - betrayed our approach later, and when she had faded the tide would have been to the south during the hours only possible for the venture/

The Venture. / April 22 proved to be the day on which this memorable company of ships started out to finally destroy Zeebrugge. Without going into detailed descriptions, let me state that we left late in the evening and steered out to sea. Light cruisers from Harwich, under Commodore Tyrwhitt, steamed out also as a screen against enemy attack. The Grand Fleet Was at sea to the north, ready to counteract any move .of the 1 German main fleet/and, of course, the Dover squadrons were patrolling to the south. Thus it iwill be seen that practically the whole of the British Navy was actually at sea night. , v - / • Fortunately, the exploit had been kept well secret, and events proved that the German' Admiralty were totally ignorant of tihe projected undoubtedly an outstanding example of the " Silent Navy " policy. _ My recollections of that night are . far too unpleasant to pan minutely. I wish I could obliterate from my memory the ghastly ■■ scenes I was destined to witness, the shattered fragments of humanity which I kept picking off my own cloth-, ing, the call of command, the maniacal laughter of men turned into animals by the lust of human blood, the shrieks: of the enemy and of my .own shipmates, when hit by shell fragments, the blaze of light, flashes from guns, and, over all. that sickly taste of powder and cordite. Yes, these things I wish to forget.

Success and Escape. One item I remember in a glorified meditation, and that is the fact that my ship penetrated nearly two miles through the enemy harbour, and eventually sank in the Bruges Canal with her bottom plates blown out, her inside full of solidified cement, and her ,hull and upper structure placed in a position which put a stop to enemy , submarines using either Zeebrugge or the Bruges Canal. ,; The fighting lasted, just one hour and 23 minutes from midnight, when practically it commenced. Thus the signal of Vice-Admiral Keyes on the way over, " St. George for England," proved very appropriate. When the blockships had actually entered the harbour, the Vindictive, Iris, and Daffodil commenced to retire. The submarine had already blown up the viaduct, and the objects of concentrating upon anything but the block'ships had been successful.

Afterwards the most trying ordeal of all had to be faced, and that was that we of the sunken ships were compelled to evacuate not only the Bruges Canal but also two miles of the enemy harbour before even reaching the open North Sea on the other side of the Mole. Just picture our position. Batteries, guns of every calibre, maxims, rifles, bombs, etc., were all around us, and starshells and searchlights illuminated the scene, while we few survivors sat in an open pulling boat, rowing through enemy waters. I feci thankful, in a, way, that to me wag entrusted the task of controlling that cutter, for the responsibility -\ia.s fully counteracted by the fact that the steering and controlling of the boat quite took my mind off the perils around. Our nerves were certainly at a high tension, yet ono man stoker, clad only in a flannel, trousers, and lifebelt passed the remark, " We'll be all right if we reach Holland in time for the pubs to open." We were eventually picked up bv one of the Dover Patrol and taken to Dover, where we heard the terrible information that the action resulted in 82 per cent, casualties. The story in detail •'•an be read elsewhere. The fact remains that it proved to be the most audacious feat of the war. My only regret is that so many better men than I ever hope to be gave their lives in that venture. ■.;.;.;-